


Prologue

by TimeWillNowResume



Series: Two Idiots [1]
Category: Friday Night Funkin' (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, because we don't have canon names lol, boyfriend's name is keith, girlfriend's name is cherry, no beta we die like senpai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:09:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29672619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeWillNowResume/pseuds/TimeWillNowResume
Summary: If Keith knew that talking with that cool girl at the music shop would lead to him squaring off against a literal demon with his fate ambiguous, he'd probably have talked to her sooner.
Relationships: Boyfriend/Girlfriend (Friday Night Funkin')
Series: Two Idiots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2180451
Comments: 15
Kudos: 106





	1. First Sight

Keith pushed his way through the crowd of students ambling out of school. He carried his blue backpack with him, holding tight to that and his hat so he wouldn't lose anything. It was hard navigating around crowded places, especially given his rather unfortunate height. He didn't want to waste any time: he had places to get to.

For one thing, school was over. For another, the music store nearby was open.

Once Keith finally pushed past the bodies of ambling students and stepped into the outdoors, he steadied himself and booked it.

Keith had been experimenting with some beats to add to Fresh during lunch, and he slogged through the day anxiously waiting to test them out. Fellow musicians (read: a couple of people who stumbled across his Soundcloud) criticized him for being a one-trick-pony. But he didn't see the issue: there was that one song with the skeleton that people wouldn't stop remixing until the end of time, so why couldn't he do something similar with Fresh?

Keith approached "Rapagio's Music Store," a wide building that spanned probably the whole block. He opened the front door and rushed inside, the air conditioning cooling him off from the sun's heat.

Rpagio's was huge, and filled with as many musical instruments as you could think of: there was a piano section, a percussion section, a guitar section with stations to test your electric guitar, and even a set of primitive instruments that the store somehow managed to get.

But Keith wasn't interested in any of that. He rushed straight towards the part of the building labeled the "DJ center" by a glowing neon sign to fit the aesthetic.

Inside the DJ center was a wide assortment of technological wonders that amassed from the discovery of hip-hop in the Bronx: from simple, antique DJ sets to machines that looked like the hardware for a rocket.

There was no way Keith could buy any of this (unless by some miracle one of his remixes exploded in popularity - which was a destiny that was growing dimmer by the passing day), so he made his work on the samples that were available. He knew where his computer was: he could probably get there blindfolded if he didn't get trampled while trying to get there.

As Keith ran to the computer, he realized that someone was already using it. From the long hair, he could tell that that someone was (probably) a girl. She was clicking on the computer, nodding her head slightly to the music that was coming from the complimentary headphones that came with each station.

Great.

Keith had all his data saved on that computer on account of, well, not having an account. Though he couldn't just ask her to move to another station - that'd make her lose all her progress too. The only thing he could do was wait until she was finished.

He placed his backpack on the floor of the wall and started digging through it. If there wasn't anything he could do, the best thing he could do was work on his schoolwork, boring as that was. He pulled out a red notebook and a textbook on math. He sighed and started slogging through.

After what seemed like hours had passed (though it was like ten minutes - but you couldn't blame him, math was _exhausting_ ) before something caught his attention.

"Hey."

Keith looked up and saw the girl looking at him.

She wore blue jeans and what looked like a really cozy black jacket. Her headphones were askew, with one of the buds resting on her cheek. Even sitting down, Keith knew that she was taller than him (though given his height, that was practically a given).

"Would you mind hearing this song I made just now?" the girl asked. "I want to see what others think of it."

Keith's eyes perked up. Listening to this girl's music was certainly more fun than homework. He stood up and took the headphones the girl gave to him. He looked at the software, pressed play, and closed his eyes.

The music was a slow beat that kept him in a tranquil state. It was like he forgot everything else and the only thing that existed was the music surrounding him, relaxing him and soothing his nerves. Eventually, the music came to an end, and Keith opened his eyes, looking like his favorite toy was snatched from him. He turned to the girl. "That was great! How long did it take you to make this?" Keith asked.

"I came here half an hour ago, so... 20 minutes?" The girl guessed with a shrug.

Keith took a step back. "20 minutes!?" he questioned. "It takes me like an hour or two to make a song like that!"

The girl rubbed the back of her neck. "I've always been good at improvising," she admitted to him.

"Yeah, you're good! Really good!" Keith congratulated.

The girl smiled a little. "Thanks. What are you doing on the floor anyway?"

Keith stopped. "Oh, uh, I was planning on using that computer because I had some stuff saved on it. So, I was just waiting for you to finish up," Keith explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the girl said, starting to close the software on the computer.

Keith's eyes widened. "Wait, what about your song?" Keith asked, surprised. "I didn't want you to get rid of it-"

"Don't worry," the girl interrupted. "I have an account, so my stuff is saved."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "...if you already have an account, then why did you come way out here to make your music? Couldn't you work at home?"

"I like my privacy," the girl responded. She moved one computer over and started logging in to her account there.

Keith didn't say anything about that mysterious comment to this mysterious girl. "Aight," Keith began, "Thanks. I know where to get some chairs so we don't have to stand all the time. Would you like a chair too...?" Keith asked, trailing off, realizing he didn't know this girl's name.

"Cherry," the girl answered, facing him. "And yes, thanks."

Keith returned with two swivel chairs, using their momentum to skate across the store like a chimpanzee hanging on two parts of a vine. He slammed his feet onto the ground at the last moment so he didn't crash into Cherry, and came to a stop. "Here's your chair, Cherry!"

They then spent hours working together on their respective tracks, stopping only when one of the store employees came to tell them it was almost closing time. Keith barely got any homework done at Rpagio's and had to spend the night finishing it up, but he thought it was worth it.

The two met again the next day after school. And again. And they kept on composing, occasisionally asking each other for tips or guidance. While they worked together, Keith leanred a little bit more about her.

For instance, Cherry didn't go to Keith's school. She was homeschooled, and an only child ("which both sucks and rules," Cherry confided). She always had a passion for music, and felt at ease whenever she put the tunes in her head to practice.

Maybe, in another world, nothing strange or unexpected happened between them. Maybe, if nobody intervened, they could have just stayed as acquaintances or casual friends. Or maybe they still would've gone together because love always finds a way or whatever.

But it didn't take much to fan the spark between them into the flame. And the fuel happened to be a certain music festival...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyy thanks for reading!  
> This first chapter is just exposition and stuff for both Keith and Cherry, and how they met each other.  
> Things are gonna heat up in the next chapter tho!


	2. The Detour was the Shortest Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ex-rockstar chuckled. As Keith thought of the best way to ask the demon for an autograph, Daddy Dearest squatted on his knees so he was at eye level with Keith. His smile turned fierce, like a lion stalking its prey. "Where'd ya get off dating my daughter, huh, little man?" he said, his voice dropping an octave.
> 
> All of Keith's autograph-signing plans evaporated instantly. Keith blinked, and stared at Daddy Dearest with the innocence of a thousand cherubs. "What?"

Cherry looked herself in the mirror one last time. She put on a simple party dress and let her hair fall down like a mane. She looked at the clock. It was almost time for her and her dad to get to the party.

If she didn't do anything that would keep her busy, she could probably convince her had to let her out of the party so she could explore the rest of the Musicon. There were a lot of booths at the rest of the complex that she'd love to visit. Maybe she'd even run into that boy from the music store, but realistically speaking, the chances of that happening were next to zero. And it would stay zero while she was stuck at this party.

"You ready, sweetie?" A voice called from the front door.

She took one last glance at the mirror to make sure she wasn't missing anything. "Yeah, dad!" She called, heading out of the house and following her dad into the car.

She got the shotgun seat and closed the door, opening the windshield on her side. She let the air cool the stuffiness of the car as she and her dad drove to their destination.

It was when she got settled into the car and she was eagerly anticipating all the things she'd be able to do on her own when her dad spoke up. "Hey honey, great news," her dad said.

Cherry turned around in her seat. "What, dad?"

"I bet we're gonna get a special guest with us tonight. You're gonna like him!"

And all of Cherry's hopes of doing stuff on her own crashed into a puddle of disappointment. She knew she'd probably have to meet this "special guest" in order to get her dad to let her go. However, judging by the way her dad phrased it, she'd have to spend a lot of time with this guy before her dad could let her off the hook.

"...that's great, dad. Thanks," Cherry responded with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. She waited for her dad to go on about the guest, but to her surprise, he didn't say anything. He just tapped the wheel and kept on driving.

Now Cherry was confused. Dad always talked about his guests before he met them. Why wasn't he saying anything?

Cherry couldn't ask her dad, so all she could do was silently pray (though being literal demon spawn makes that kinda unethical) that this guy wouldn't take his sweet time.

* * *

Today was the day.

To say Keith looked forward to it was an understatement: he woke up every morning gleefully crossing out a day on his techno calendar, waiting for this festival. He packed his backpack in advance, filled with all the stuff the website said he needed to view the booths.

He swung it over his shoulder and left the house in a flurry. He didn't say goodbye to anyone because there wasn't anyone at the house beside him for now. As he took out the map (which had more surface area than him) and started following it, he realized something: he never told Cherry that he couldn't be at Rpagio's.

Keith stopped following the map, his brow furrowing. If he booked it to the store, and then really booked it to the festival, he could probably still get to the festival right as it started. He stuffed the map into the backpack and ran towards the giant music store.

He first thought that what he was doing was trivial, but as his little legs pounded the pavement, he thought of the relationship that Cherry and he had built over the past couple of days.

Sure, technically they were really just acquaintances that just so happened to pop by the same music store every day (they didn't even have each other's contact info), but he really wanted to know more about the mysterious girl. He didn't want to screw up their almost-friendship by ghosting her.

So, he rushed through the doors of Rpagio's and scanned the first couple of rooms for her. He didn't notice one of the employees walking up to meet him. "Hey, are you Keith?" the employee asked.

Keith looked up. "Yeah."

"This girl, Cherry, told me to tell you that she wasn't coming today. She was dressed up like she was going to something fancy," the employee explained.

"Oh," Keith responded. Guess she beat him to it.

* * *

Keith took in the complex. It was huge, and seemed to go on forver. There were little stations set up everywhere, and it was easy to get lost in there. Fortunately, Keith thought up the best route to go so that he could get the most autographs and trinkets possible. He was pulling out his map when a tall figure approached him.

He was wearing blue jeans and a large black jacket with a gold chain with a locket attached to it. He was also wearing a bandana, and, from what Keith could tell, had some sort of red skin. Keith felt sorry for the guy. Must have had a bad sunburn. The man looked him over a bit. "You a demon?" the man said, his voice deep and imposing.

Keith blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"I said, are you a demon?"

"Is that like a band, or-"

The man _sniffed_ Keith(???). "Huh. You're a human." He digged in his pocket, pulling up a similar gold chain and draping it around Keith's neck. "C'mon. I gotta bring you somewhere."

Keith took a step back. He was waiting all month for this convention, and he didn't want to waste it because some weirdo was trying to kidnap him or indoctrinate him into a cult or whatever. "I-uh-" Keith stuttered, not knowing what to do.

The man chuckled. "Relax, kid, I ain't gonna harm ya. I just gotta take you to one of the booths. You're a VIP," the man explained. He pulled something else from his pocket and showed Keith an ID badge, courtesy of Musicon staff.

Keith was thrown off for a second. Depending on how long the man intended to keep him at the booth, he wouldn't have enough time to visit the rest of the stations, which would suck.

On the other hand, he'd be a sucker not to pass up a booth where he's a VIP. And he could just excuse himself whenever he wanted do, anyway. Keith took a deep breath. "Aight, sure. Lead the way."

The man nodded and turned around. Keith followed him.

Eventually, they came to a stop at a red door with two doorknoob. Keith tilted his head. "Hey, I didn't remember this door being here," he said to the man, pointing at it.

The man chuckled. "Oh, man, you really are a human, ain't ya?" He pointed to the chain on Keith's neck. "Try taking it off."

Keith pulled the chain over his neck and saw the door vanish. He put his hand to the now bare wall. "W-where did it-" Keith sputtered, before putting the chain back on. The door appeared, like it was always there.

"That's ya answer, kid," the man explained. "Now c'mon," the man said, opening one of the doorknobs. "It's rude to keep people waiting."

Keith opened the door - and was greeted with the freakiest sight he had seen yet.

The room itself was normal - there was a fireplace set up at one side of the room, and there were a lto of tables and chairs. On the far side of the room was a large theater, curtains and all. It was the people inhabiting the room that were freaking him out.

The secret room was filled with all sorts of pagan monsters - demons, skeletons, goblins, you name it. If Keith didn't have any contest, he'd have thought he stumbled onto an elaborate costume party, but given the magic door, he was growing less and less confident about that inference.

The man took off his hoodie and bandana. He had two prongs sticking out his temples, and his face was entirely red. He pulled out a pair of snazzy glasses. "Make yourself at home, kid. I'll go tell the guy you came," he said, walking to another corner of the room.

Keith, now thoroughly confused, picked an empty chair and sat on it. He figured it'd be best not to draw attention to himself amongst the crowd of monsters: he could be eaten, or worse!

He was staring intently at his shoes when a large, well-built purple man made his way toward Keith. "My man was right. You are the guy!"

Keith looked up and froze. He knew htis guy better than any other composer out there in Musicon.

He was _the_ Daddy Dearest, composer of Fresh!

"M-Mr. Daddy Dearest!" Keith gasped. He couldn't believe it. This had to be a dream!

"You know about me, kid? Heh, guess I still got it," Daddy Dearest said smugly, his grin widening. "You liking the crowd here, little man? It's a pretty big turnout."

Keith hesitated. He liked being called a man, but he was rubbed the wrong way by the "little" part. Daddy Dearest sniffed Keith the same way the other guy did. "There really ain't a trace of demon on ya. I thought my man was fibbing for a bit," Daddy Dearest declared. "Bet this is the first time you've ever seen something spooky as this, haven't ya?"

Keith could only nod.

"Well, lemme tell you a little trade secret," Daddy Dearest said. "I'm a demon."

He said it so casually, like he was pointing out the weather, that Keith didn't even process what he said. "Excuse me?"

"I told ya I'm a demon, little man," staring directly at Keith. Keith literally couldn't meet the other man's gaze because his red eye-pupil-lights were blinding him. He jumped off his chair and took a step back toward the door.

The demon Daddy Dearest put his hands up. "Woah-ho-ho, Relax, little man! Nobody here ain't gonna harm ya." He put his hands down. "I just called ya to clarify something."

Keith knew the most rational thing was to rush out that red door and yank off that golden chain around his neck, but he found himself trusting the ex-rockstar. It's not like Daddy Dearest had a criminal record or anything. He forced his nerves to relax. He was talking to his idol, for crying out loud. He shouldn't be so tense. Keith walked up to the demon and asked the million-dollar question. "Why did you call me here, Mr. Daddy Dearest?"

The ex-rockstar chuckled. As Keith thought of the best way to ask the demon for an autograph, Daddy Dearest squatted on his knees so he was at eye level with Keith. His smile turned fierce, like a lion stalking its prey. "Where'd ya get off dating my daughter, huh, little man?" he said, his voice dropping an octave.

All of Keith's autograph-signing plans evaporated instantly. Keith blinked, and stared at Daddy Dearest with the innocence of a thousand cherubs. "What?"

"Hey, playin' dumb ain't gonna help your case, little man. I know what you've been up to."

Keith certainly didn't. "I... don't think you do, Mr. Daddy Dearest. I'm-" Keith was about to say single, but for some reason, he felt embarrassed admitting that to his idol.

"C'mon, little man," the ex-rockstar growled. He pointed a finger at Keith's heart. "Just make this easier for everyone, and admit-"

"Hey, dad! Where'd you go?" a voice called.

Both Keith and Daddy Dearest looked away. "Hey, sweetie!" Daddy Dearest called, slinging an arm over Keith's shoulders.

When Keith saw her, he was absolutely certain he was dreaming.

She was wearing a simple red dress. She let her hair flow a lot more, like a breeze was constantly blowing towards it. THe sight of her took Keith's breath away. Not just because she was really pretty, but also because Daddy Dearest was right: he did know her!

Cherry walked towards the two, not having notcied Keith yet. "Has the guest shown up yet, or-" she began, before recognizing the (relatively) tiny figure her father was holding. Her face paled. "Wh- how did you-"

Keith shrugged helplessly. Daddy Dearest only grinned wider. "He came in with me. Who knew he'd be going to the Musicon, too?" He looked at Keith before looking back again at his daughter. "Oh, and you were looking for the guest?"

Cherry pulled Keith out of her father's armlock (though he didn't offer any resistance - Keith guessed he didn't want to harm his daughter) and held him itight - before jumping back, realizing what she was doing.

Daddy Dearest chuckled. "Guess you two are closer than I thought!"

Both Keith and Cherry blushed. Keith put his cap down to hide his embarassment while Cherry kept on fighting. "How did you find out about him!?"

The ex-rockstar's grin turned a little bit more humble. "One of your mom's guys was driving by to get his guitar fixed when he saw you and the little man over there hangin' out at Rpagio's like a couple of lovebirds."

Cherry blushed harder. "It's not - we didn't - WE'RE NOT LOVEBIRDS!" Cherry sputtered out. "We're just friends! We met at Rpagio's and we liked each other's music, so we started hanging out together! Right?" She said, turning to Keith, silently begging him to speak out.

Keith, unfortunately, was far too shocked to say anything, but he managed with a weak nod.

Daddy Dearest nodded thoughtfully. "Is that so?" he said, stroking his chin. "Well then, little man," he began, turning towards Keith, "I'll believe you two. But ya gotta understand, I can't let my daughter hang around with wimpy, shrimpy kids like ya."

Keith took offense to what Daddy Dearest said, and not just because of the "little" part either. His fists clenched. "I'm not gonna just _leave_ her-"

"I wasn't finished, little man!" Daddy Dearest interrupted. "Don't get your jorts in a spin, now! I got a way for ya to prove your worth!" He bent down again. "You look like the rapper type. Well, I always wanted to see what a rapper could do against an ex-rockstar like me. If you can beat me in a singing battle-"

Cherry's loud cry was muffled by her hands as she shielded her face from further mortification.

Keith blinked. "Do you mean, like a music competition? Like, we make our own music and then we get voted on which one was better?" Keith made a couple of amateur songs before. He had more of a chance, however small, if that was what the dad wanted him to do.

Daddy Dearest laughed, his grin turning more terrifying. "Not even close, little man! Here's what I want ya to do-" he grabbed Keith roughly by the elbow and pointed at the theater. Keith noticed that there was a set of speakers there. "See that stage? We'll both go there and prove our mettle. Two mics, two men, one victor!" Daddy Dearest faced Keith. "So..." he said, glaring at Keith menacingly, "Whaddya say...?"

Cherry had enough. She seized her moment and yanked a thoroughly intimidated Keith out of her dad's grasp. Cherry rushed forward, her hand in Keith's, as Keith yelped. She led the both of them to the theater and closed the curtains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyy thanks for reading! (x2)  
> The tutorial's up next, so get ready for ←→←→↑↓↑↓!  
> Also chapter title is a Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run reference lol (don't search it up though, you'll get majorly spoiled)


	3. Up! Down! Left! Right!

Compared to the heat of the rest of the booth, this area behind the curtains was pretty chilly. Keith wished he wore something more than a shirt.

The bluenette rubbed his hand after Cherry let go of it. He saw Cherry leaning against the giant speakers, crossing her arms and avoiding his gaze.

Keith had to make one thing completely sure, first. "Cherry, could you slap me?" he asked.

Cherry stopped. "What?"

"I just want to make sure I'm not dreaming this up. Maybe I got concussed and I'm dreaming this all out."

Cherry hesitated for a bit before smacking Keith over the side of his face.

Yep, he wasn't dreaming. "Ow!" Keith yelped, putting a hand to his quickly-turning-red cheek.

Cherry winced. "Ohmigosh, I'm so sorry!" she cried, before putting her hand on Keith's cheek as well. "I didn't mean to slap you that hard-"

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Keith said. "It's fine! It's - actually kind of a relief, really."

"A relief?" Cherry questioned.

"Yeah, because I'm not stuck in a dream world or anything-"

"How is everything that just happened to you a relief!?"

Keith blinked. "Well-"

"You got carted off into a realm of demons because you happened to barely associate with me, and now you're being challenged by my dad to a rap battle over your life!"

"Well, it's not over my _life-_ "

"You do realize it's a packed theater out there, right?"

"...okay, it might be over my life."

Cherry sighed. "Look, he won't come after you if he thinks you want nothing to do with me, anymore. If you leave and drop off the gold chain, I can tell him myself."

Keith's eyes widened. "But- that means I'll never get to see you again!"

"Look, it's better if you forget about me, alright?" Cherry said, inwardly wincing at the harshness of her delivery. "These supernatural things-they're way too much over your head for a normal person like yourself. I'm sure you can find someone way cooler than me-"

"But they wouldn't be you!" Keith interrupted. He stopped, looking at the ground. "I mean, we've only known each other for just a couple of days, but you're really talented with music, and you're super nice to people." Keith wanted to add that she was really cute, but that would contradict what he wanted to say next. "If I have to face public humiliation through a rap battle with your dad, so be it. I'm not forgetting about you. I couldn't, even if I tried," Keith explained, grabbing his wrist. "It'd really wear on me if I didn't take this chance to be friends with you, y'know? And-" Keith said, suddenly looking up, "And- we don't have to be boyfriend and girlfriend or anything, we can still be friends like before!" Keith quickly added.

Cherry was stunned. She didn't expect him to defend their relationship that much, especially given they only knew each other for a couple of days. "Do you-" _Do you really care about me that much?_ Cherry wanted to ask, but she couldn't muster hte courage to say it out loud. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Keith's fists clenched. "I'm absolutely sure. The problem is..." he looked back at the ground. "I don't have any experience in rap battles whatsoever. I mean, I know how to make music and stuff when I'm focused, but improvising stuff on the spot when I'm stressed out is, well, impossible for me." Ironically, Keith could see Cherry doing really well at rapp battles, considering how good she was at making stuff up on the spot.

Cherry smiled. "Well, if you're serious..." she said,grabbing the laptop attached to the speakers, "Maybe a little magic wouldn't hurt!"

* * *

Cherry climbed on top of the speakers. Keith remained on the floor, one of his hands in his pockets and the other holding a microphone. "So, uh..." Keith said, tossing the microphone up and down, "How does this magic thing work? Is it an incantation that magically calms me down, or..."

Cherry clasped her hands together. "It's an incantation, yes. Just repeat after me, even though you're not gonna understand anything I'm saying." Cherry closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then said some words that definitely didn't translate into English. Keith tried his best to follow along by breaking her words down into syllables.

After a couple of minutes of chanting, Keith noticed something. It was like another part of his consciousness was aware of something that wasn't accessible to him before. "I, uh, see four arrows. They're each facing different directions!" Keith looked at Cherry. "They're hovering over you, too!"

Cherry clapped. "Great! That means the spell's working!" She looked at Keith. "Whenever you feel like one of the arrows needs to sing, just use it, okay? I'm not sure what that means, but that's what the spell says..."

"No, it makes perfect sense!" Keith interrupted. "Using the arrows" would've sounded like gibberish just a couple of minutes ago, but it was like he gained a new power from the incantation. It was like how people's heads would explode in Lovecraft's stories because they've learned of unspeakable things (except, y'know, his head wasn't exploding). "So, how do we test it?" Keith asked, tapping his microphone.

Cherry reached over and started clicking through her laptop. "We'll start with this," she said, a smile forming on her lips. She crossed her legs and carried the mouse with her. "Are you ready, Keith?"

Keith grabbed the microphone. "Yeah, ready!"

Cherry took a deep breath, prayed to whatever was out there that this would work, and pressed play. The same music that Cherry asked Keith to sample when they first met flooded through the speakers. Cherry could see Keith smile at her choice of music. Spontaneously, she decided to speak in her own native language.

**"Left, Right! Left, Right!"**

Even though Keith didn't understand what Cherry was saying, he was able to improvise a rebuttal that perfectly countered what she said, like a buckler disarming an incoming sword.

 **"That's how you do it!"** Cherry cheered, before realizing that Keith still wouldn't understand what she was saying after he tilted his head a little. Cherry blushed, but quickly recovered and caught up with the beat.

**"Up, Down! Up.... Down!"**

They went back and forth like that for a couple of measures, trying harder and harder combinations. Then, the climax of the song started.

**"Down-Up-Down-Up! Right!"**

Keith parried that, too - and even added a extra measure on his own, like the tie of a Christmas gift.

Cherry was beside herself. She was clapping eagerly, feeling proud for both herself for teaching this spell, and for Keith for mastering it.

Keith beamed at Cherry. "That was great! With this, we might stand a chance against your dad!"

"Nah, you'll totally crush him!"

Keith's grin grew even wider. "Yeah, I'm totally gonna crush him!"

"You wanna bet on that, little man?"

Keith and Cherry both jumped, neither of them noticing the onlooker (seriously, he blended in perfectly with the purple curtains!). Keith was the first to recover. "Oh, hey, Cherry's dad!" Keith greeted, any fear he had now gone.

"Just 'Cherry's dad'? No Daddy Dearest for me?" Cherry's dad squinted his eyes. "I see how it is, The Boyfriend."

Keith blushed, hiding his face beneath his cap. "Dad, I told you, we're not like that!" Cherry called.

"Even if you aren't, The Boyfriend, you still have to fight to keep your right to my daughter!"

Keith took a deep breath. He put a hand in his pocket and looked the purple demon straight in the eye.

"You're on, Daddy Dearest!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyy thanks for reading! (x3)
> 
> So, in case if it wasn't clear, the English we hear in Friday Night Funkin is a foreign language used by demons and other spooky things in this fanfiction. The beeps and boops are just plain-old-English, though.  
> Also, the DDR-style game mechanic comes from a spell Cherry knows, as well.  
> Next chapter is the Dad Battle! Stay tuned!


	4. Showtime for a Showdown!

Shortly after that, word got around that a show was starting. It took some time, but the demons eventually started trying to settle themselves down. The lights were dimmed elsewhere in the room, with the only light being a spotlight that shone directly at the stage. There was only one person on the stage: a bluenette with a red cap, nervously spinning a microphone on his hand.

Keith talked big before, but as time went on and he came to appreciate the sheer magnitude of the crowd that came to watch the fight (or, more likely, to watch him suffer) he started having doubts. And those doubts compounded among more doubts as he started grasping what he had planned to do.

He challenged a freaking demon to a rap battle in front of a ton of other spooky apparitions. Aside from the inevitable embarrassment that was guaranteed to come if he screwed up, even with the arrows, he didn't want to imagine what his fate could possibly be. But, he couldn't resist, and he threw himself deeper into a pit of nervousness and apprehension, bordering on despair. He didn't even notice the figure climbing the steps.

Daddy Dearest looked Keith in the eyes, a smug grin on his face after seeing just how intimidated Keith was. He turned to the crowd and bowed deeply.

 _Why's this guy acting like he's already_ _won?_ Keith thought to himself. Though, he had to admit, given how deeply terrified he was, things weren't looking so great.

Daddy Dearest waved his hands. "Thank you, thank you!" he greeted as he took in the applause. "So, we're gathered here tonight to relive some of the glory days! And I got just the guy to help!" Daddy Dearest reached over and pulled Keith's empty arm into the air. "I found this little man trying to date my daughter-"

The air was filled with laughter, cheers in Keith's favor, and catcalls. Daddy Dearest glared at the congregation, and they immediately fell silent.

"-and when I found him," Daddy Dearest continued, as if nothing had happened, "I decided to teach him some of the classics. Some good old tunes from my glory days. So, little man..." he said, turning to Keith, the red lights in his eyeholes growing with the ferocity of two suns, "Are you ready to rock?"

"Uh-"

"Right on, little man!"

The two purple curtains flew to opposite sides of the theatre, almost like there were two invisible forces keeping them apart. Although Keith was absorbed in self-doubt, even with his newfound powers, the sight that lay behind the curtains cheered him up immensely.

The speaker set had a Cherry on top. She was holding the other microphone she took while the two were having their training session earlier.

Daddy Dearest blinked, surprised. He wasn't used to someone catching him by surprise, especially his daughter. "Sweetheart? You're still here?"

Cherry ignored her dad and gave a little wave with her empty hand. "Hi!" She greeted Keith. He couldn't help but smile back.

Daddy Dearest groaned a little. "Sweetie, you can't stay here."

"Yes, I can. I'm doing it right now!"

"But this is a battle between men, Cherry!"

"A battle that _you_ forced him into," Cherry countered. "And anyway, since you two are both fighting over me, shouldn't I have the best seat?"

The audience cheered. "Keep her on, man!" a voice cheered, followed by several other voices echoing the same sentiment.

Daddy Dearest sighed. Now that the crowd got it in their heads that they wanted her on the stage, he couldn't do anything about it. "Alright, then, sweetheart. I just wanted to warn you..." his grin turned fierce, almost hungry, as he looked at Keith, "what's gonna happen to this kid ain't gonna be pretty!"

Keith didn't care what Cherry's dad had to say. He was more focused on the girl sitting on top of the speakers, smiling like there was nothing to worry about.

Of course, he was grateful that Cherry gave him the power of the arrows to help give himself a chance at winning. But the fact that she went so far as to be on stage herself, to defend him against her father, and to give him company for the fight -- it was a wonderful feeling, melting away Keith's anxieties like cool ice on a warm summer's day.

Keith didn't grace Cherry's dad with a reply. He just smiled, and slid the bill of his red cap backwards at an angle.

Naturally, the crowd lost it; there was nothing more exciting than a cocky underdog. Daddy Dearest saw the kid in a new light. Whatever tricks his daughter had pulled, it was definitely working on the kid. Maybe he shouldn't try steaming through him.

Although, on the outside, he played along with the act. "You tryna psyche me out, little man?" Daddy Dearest responded. "Well, you got into my theatre, so you gotta play by my rules." He put two fingers up. "We're gonna be singing two songs made by yours truly, and we're both gonna be adding vocals on the spot. If you can hold on without going under, I'll think you worthy, and you can date my daughter."

Keith nodded. "Seems easy enough," Keith said to the Dad. "So, you ready?"

"You should be worrying about yourself, little man. Game on!" Daddy Dearest yelled, pumping his fist into the air. The audience cheered as music started from the speakers.

The first song was Bopeebo, a song that Keith hadn't paid that much attention to. Keith let Daddy Dearest go first, so he could use the arrows to fight back. Keith was exhilarated when he got through the first couple of measures, but as he continued, he really started enjoying the chill flow of the beat. With the arrows, singing in this rap battle came as naturally as keeping his heart pumping.

Daddy Dearest was impressed. The kid could definitely do a wide range of vocals, and was able to transpose him almost perfectly. Maybe the kid could have a job as a vocaloid, or whatever the kids were into these days.

After the two were finished, applause broke out from the crowd beneath them. Keith turned to Cherry, who was clapping as well.

Daddy Dearest couldn't lie. This really was making him feel young again. "Alright, alright," Daddy Dearest said, spreading his hands out to quiet the audience. "Nice job, little man. Ya managed to tackle the easiest song I could think of."

The crowd chuckled a bit. Keith looked a little conflicted, but otherwise remained unfazed.

"Now then, how's bout we up the ante a little, eh, little man?" Daddy Dearest taunted. "Here's something ta really get your blood pumping! It's coming up _Fresh!_ "

Of course, Keith wasn't intimidated at all. Singing _Fresh_ with Daddy Dearest himself seemed like something unachievable, even in his dreams. But here he was, really doing it, and there was no way he was going to mess this up.

Even though the situation that Keith was in was dire, to say the least, Keith was genuinely enjoying himself. He always thought himself to be one of the guys working behind the scenes, watching in awe as the lead performers blow everyone away, feeling pride in the little things he did to contribute to the performance.

But here? Only he was responsible for his performance, and Keith _reveled_ in that.

Once Keith finished, the whole crowd was on their feet, rooting for their human underdog. "LITTLE MAN! LITTLE MAN!" The crowd cheered, as Keith took an exaggerated bow. He took a side look at Daddy Dearest, but he couldn't glean anything off of his expression.

 _Cherry's dad would make one hell of a poker player_ , Keith thought to himself.

The crowd eventually settled down, and Daddy Dearest looked Keith straight in the eyes once more. Now, Keith could find that he could look right back. "Well, little man," Daddy Dearest began, "You forced my hand. You powered through my glory days like they were nothing!"

Keith's eyes widened as he started to smile. Did that mean he was conceding? He turned to Cherry, whose face was apprehensive. Her expression was clear. _Keep your eyes out._ So Keith stood on his guard.

"But... when I found out you were trying to woo my daughter, I really got to thinking. And that thinking led me to start doing. So, little man..." his eyes narrowed. "Do you wanna kiss ur hot girlfriend?"

Cherry flushed, angry at her dad for putting Keith into a tight spot again. It was like he cast a spell, completely shifting the mood. The room fell silent, save for the hum of the spotlights and the almost-palpable tension in the air.

Daddy Dearest's grin turned fiercer. "I said, little man, DO YOU WANNA KISS UR HOT GIRLFRIEND!?"

Keith took a deep sigh. Now or never. He looked up at the purple demon, determination in his eyes. "I AM gonna kiss my hot girlfriend, and there isn't anything you can do about it, old man!"

As Cherry put her hands over her face to cover the glowing pride she felt towards her friend, the crowd exploded (some of the members did quite literally - it took a while to clean up the scorch marks afterwards).

Daddy Dearest, impressed, started laughing. "Well you have to get past me, The Boyfriend! Let's get his encore started!" he said, as music started playing from the speakers once more. "WELCOME TO THE _DAD BATTLE!!!_ "

...and Keith beat that song, too. It was definitely more fast-paced than the other two, but thanks to the arrows, Keith was able to hold his ground just fine. When Keith hit the climax, he could barely be heard from the excited cheers of the crowd.

Once Daddy Dearest and Keith powered down, and the speakers grew quiet, the crowd was uncontrollable. "BOYFRIEND! BOYFRIEND! BOYFRIEND!" the crowd roared for Keith. But for Keith, it was like the crowd had suddenly gone silent. Because something far more important was happening to him.

He turned to Cherry and smiled with the radiance of a thousand hellfires. Cherry beamed back. They had done the impossible, and now they could reap the rewards. Cherry jumped down from the speaker-

Keith felt a force clamp down on his left leg, and yelped as he dropped to the floor, losing his mike in the process. Cherry rushed towards him (as fast as she could with her high-heeled shoes), but he was dragged into the mass of bodies below. He was carried up and around the crowd, like some kind of holy relic.

Cherry turned to her dad in a panic. "DAD, HELP HIM!"

Daddy Dearest was still stunned. He was a fan of showstoppers, of those who shook things up and hyped up the crowd, and turned mundane things into nights to remember. He just never expected it to happen to him.

He supposed he should be feeling some resentment toward the boy -- but all he could really feel was respect.

Daddy Dearest waved off Cherry's concern. "Don't worry, sweetheart, they're just crowdsurfing him! Bet he's having a blast!"

True enough, Cherry could see Keith waving eagerly among the mosh pit, a dumb smile plastered across his face.

 _This guy stood up for me, even when he saw who I was,_ Cherry thought to herself. _He even pushed himself and did the impossible just to be my friend!_

If this was a romance novel, she'd criticize him for being an idiot for putting so much on the line just to keep in touch with her. But when push comes to shove...

Cherry couldn't help but wave back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dad has been OWNED with BEEPS and BOPS  
> This was definitely my favorite chapter to write! Thank you guys for giving me the encouragement to work through this fanfic!  
> Also I love calling The Boyfriend a bluenette lol


	5. Proepilogue! (Epiprologue? Uh...)

With the main event finished, and Keith finally put down, the demons started leaving for their homes. Keith made his way towards Cherry, getting stopped every so often to get congratulated or fist-bumped.

Cherry waved. "Keith! Over here!"

Keith stumbled his way toward the girl. "Hey, Cherry!" He dusted his cap. "So..." Keith tried to say, when Cherry grabbed his hand.

It was now or never. Cherry had to get the truth out of him. "Thanks for sticking around with me, Keith. I...really appreciate what you did." Cherry began, her voice strained only slightly.

"Oh, yeah, don't worry about that," Keith said. "And besides, that was all you! If it weren't for that spell, I'd be toast!"

Cherry smiled briefly, but still held that indecipherable expression. "But... about the whole...'girlfriend' thing..." Cherry tried to squeak out, her own embarrassment clogging her. She turned red and looked away.

Keith blinked, and stepped back, blushing, like Cherry's voice powered him on. "Oh! Uh-" Keith began. "That was just a stage thing. I just said that to rile up your dad," Keith quickly blurted out.

Cherry thought she'd feel relieved, but she found herself just the slightest bit disappointed. Which was weird, because it should be for the best if they were just friends, right? "Oh - good. So- we're just friends, then, right?" Cherry asked, trying to force the words out. "There's nothing... _weird_ going on between us?" Cherry added, silently praying that Keith didn't ask her to elaborate.

"Yeah, we're friends!" Keith responded cheerfully.

"So... do you treat all your friends like this?" Cherry asked.

"Like what?"

"Like, would you rap battle a demon to hang out with them more?"

Keith processed the question and shrugged. "I'd do it again if it meant I could hang out with you more," Keith said frankly.

Cherry blushed, and broke off of Keith's gaze. She was wondering how she could possibly top somehting as smooth as that when a figure approached them, carrying something over his shoulder. "Hey kid!"

Cherry looked up. It was one of the people her dad worked with. Just this once, she was glad that somebody butted in between her and Keith. "Hey, you're the guy who let me into the party!" Keith said, snapping his fingers.

The man nodded and pushed his glasses back. "Still the same man. Just came to say congrats on beating my boss. Oh, and I gotta give you this back. You left it by the table over there," the red demon said, handing the backpack over to Keith. "See ya!" the demon called as he rushed over to keep the rest of the remaining guests in line. 

Keith opened the backpack. A bunch of supplies fell out of it, folded after being cramped in for so long. Keith kneeled down to pick his things up.

Cherry bent down as well. "What's all this?" Cherry asked, gesturing with her hand.

"Oh, it's just all the stuff I brought for Musicon," Keith explained, rubbing the back of his head. He sighed. "I don't think many of the events are still running..."

A pang of guilt shot through Cherry. She looked down at the backpack. Surrounding it was a ton of bundled-up posters, and a bulky laptop that somehow managed to fit in there. "Sorry. Guess you would've had time to go if it weren't for my dad," she said to Keith, not quite meeting his eyes.

Keith touched Cherry's elbow. "Hey, don't worry about it! I'm not disappointed or anything, I had a blast tonight!"

It would be the polite thing for Cherry to just go along with Keith's wishes and leave it be. But, she really wanted to give him a normal night out, that wasn't related to demons or other supernatural entities. She looked at a digital clock hanging from the wall. "It's 8:24," Cherry reported to Keith.

Keith looked at the clock as well. "Oh, it's that early? I thought it was longer..." Keith said to himself.

Cherry grabbed Keith's hand. "I know a couple of booths that are still open. We can go see them together, if you like," Cherry said.

Keith smiled eagerly. "That sounds great!" He shuffled through the backpack and pulled out a thin white piece of paper. "I wrote down all the stuff I planeed to do today on here. But, I'm not sure we'll be able to get to the rest of the events in time..."

Cherry winked. "I know a couple of shortcuts." She grabbed Keith's hand. It seemed like the wish she made at the beginning of the day came true after all. Maybe there are blessings for demons. "So, where are we heading first?"

And with that, the two left the room, ready to have as many adventures as possible before the convention ended.

* * *

After a couple of hours of enjoying the sights that remained, the convention started wrapping up. Since Cherry and her dad needed to stay behind to help with the cleanup, and Keith really had to get home, they decided to part ways at the entrance to the convention.

"Well," Keith began, putting both of his hands in his pockets, his satchel hung on his back. "This is it, then."

Cherry nodded. "Isn't it cold outside? I can, uh, walk home with you if you want."

Keith shook his head. "Nah, it's not that bad. I can get there on my own."

"Ya sure, little man?" Daddy Dearest said, walking up to the two kids and interrupting their moment. "It wouldn't be that much of a hassle for me."

"No, it's okay. But... can I ask another favor of you?"

Daddy Dearest tilted his head. "Shoot."

"Can you-um," Keith started, his voice slightly raising in pitch. He took off his cap. "Can you sign this?" He pleaded.

Daddy Dearest blinked. For all the kid's showboating, he really just was a devoted fanboy. He smiled, digging in for a felt pen he kept in his pocket, and took the hat from Keith. He wrote something on the brim of the hat and gave it back to Keith.

Keith looked up at Daddy Dearest, beaming. "Thank you!" he said, exictedly, as he put his cap back on.

"I want to give you something, too, Keith," Cherry spoke up.

Both Daddy Dearest and Keith's eyes widened. "What is it?" Keith asked.

Cherry took out a phone and pointed it towwards Keith.

Keith understood what she was implying and swapped cell phones. Daddy Dearest breathed a sigh of relief.

Keith and Cherry both took their phones back from each other. Cherry looked Keith in the eyes. "See you later, The Boyfriend."

Keith was taken back by surprised - and then laughed. "You too, The Girlfriend!" He started walking away from the two demons and making his way back home.

"Take care!" Cherry called out.

Keith waved back, and made his way into the night, fading into the night sky. "I thought you were gonna kiss him," Cherry's dad said, his eyes still fixated on whatever he could make out to be Keith.

Cherry looked sharply at her father. "I told you, we're nothing like that. He's just a friend who happens to be a boy, that's all," Cherry muttered, her arms crossed. She almost looked like her father when she did that.

"Well, The Friend-Who-Happens-To-Be-A-Boy doesn't really roll off the tongue well, does it?" Cherry's dad said with a chuckle. He turned towards his daughter. "Or maybe The-Friend-Who-Happened-To-Beat-My-Daughter's-Dad-Through-Arcane-Spells-And-Such would be better."

Cherry's eyes widened. "How did you-"

"I didn't just butt in at the end of your guys's duet, sweetheart." Cherry's dad. "But still, if he could master that spell, then that just means the kid can protect himself."

"You sound like you're mad that you lost, Dad," Cherry pointed out. But she realized that something was different about her father. He looked pensive, which was wholly different from the confident rockstar image he put out to the public. "Question is, who's gonna be protecting him?" He said, almost to himself.

Cherry didn't hear her dad right. At least, she thought she didn't. "What did you say?"

Daddy Dearest snapped out of it. "Nah, don't sweat it, sweetheart. We're gonna be leaving soon. I'm pretty sure cleanup's almost done." He started back towards the convention.

Cherry blinked, then shrugged. Even for two demons, her parents were weird. She learned to just ride with it.

And she should be happy. She got somebody else's number, and it was a boy, no less!

Even though Cherry never really had any friends due to her sheltered life(unless she counted Hating Simulator), Keith went through all this trouble to stay friends with her. She was determined to do the same.

Taking a deep breath after counting her blessings, she followed her father back into the building.

* * *

It took Keith longer than he anticipated to make his way back home. It was hard to navigate in the darkness, and Keith only had the warm streetlights to guide him. He found himself on multiple occassions having to stand up on his toes, squinting, just so he could see if he was following the right streets.

Eventually, Keith was able to find the apartment complex. He entered the building, and made his way to his apartment. _Room 413._ He hesitated opening the door. He knew that there wasn't anyone on the other side, but what's the harm in hoping?

He unlocked the door, not bothering to turn on the lights. The apartment held a tiny kitchen to the side with chairs propped up against it. The rest of the room was taken up by a worn-out yet comfortable green couch and a bulky television set. Keith's stuff was littered over the couch, but he just hadn't gotten the time to sort it out.

This place would've felt cramped to anybody else, but for Keith, the apartment felt empty, like a castle with no subjects.

From the wall closest to the couch was a door leading to the bedroom.Keith went through the door and plopped himself on the matress, throwing the backpack of loot on it as well.

It was then he realized how _tired_ he was. The whole experience with Cherry and her dad really wore him out. But still, he didn't want to go to sleep just yet.

Keith took out his phone. He just got Cherry's number, so he could leave her a message. Maybe he could try talking to her until he fell asleep. (Do demons need sleep? Keith had to ask her later.)

But Keith knew that he had to talke to someone else first. And he'd just have to sit through the weird feeling he got trying to talk to her.

Taking a deep breath, Keith dialed the number.

Pressing the phone against his ear, he strained to hear the ringing of the phone. With each successive ring, Keith grew more and more anxious, even in his tired state.

After six or seven rings, someone picked up the phone. "Keith?" A strained voice called out.

Keith smiled a little. "Hey, mom."

"Oh, it's so late out! I thought you were never gonna call!"

"Yeah... I spent more time at Musicon then I thought I would."

"Did something happen?" Keith's mom asked, her voice concerned.

Keith figured that he could tell his mom the basics. "I met a friend there, and we lost track of time together," he explained. It was surface-level, but at least it was something.

"Oh, that's wonderful! Are you two planning on meeting up again?"

Keith smiled a little bit brighter. "Yeah, I think we're meeting up tomorrow."

"That's great, Keith!"

Keith then remembered something, and mentally kicked himself for not bringing it up earlier. "So... mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"How's your treatment going?"

"Oh... that," Keith's mom said, the joy in her voice dimming slightly. "To tell you the truth, kiddo, it's not going as well as we hoped. We're all optimistic about it, but..." her voice trailed off.

Keith winced. While he was having a blast at Musicon, his mother was cooped up in a hospital bed. He couldn't help but feel guilty: how could he be so upbeat whwn she was suffering so much?

"Keith? Keith, are you there?"

Keith snapped back to reality. "Uh, yeah, I'm still there," Keith said, trying to play off what he was feeling so he didn't make things worse.

Keith's mother paused. "I know what you're thinking, Keith."

Keith's train of thought stopped. He didn't know how to respond to that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know you're feeling guilty about having a good time today," Keith's mom explained. "Is that right?"

Keith wanted to shake his head and stop the lump in his throat he just realized he had, but he couldn't. "...yes," Keith responded, nodding his head slightly, even though he knew his mom couldn't see it.

"Keith, you know I want you to be happy more than anything."

Keith couldn't stop himself. "But you're not okay! How can I-"

"Keith, if I know that you're out there enjoying life, then I'm happy," Keith's mom consoled. "Please don't worry about me, Keith. I know I'm going to get through this because I know you're waiting for me, darling."

Keith's breaths grew more shallow, yet he felt strangely at ease. "T-thanks," he gulped.

"Don't mention it. Now get some rest. It's way too late anyways. You can tell me the rest about Musicon some other time, okay?"

Keith nodded. "I'll do that."

"And bring your friend over, if you get the chance!"

Keith smiled. "I will. Goodnight, mom."

"Good night, dear."

The call ended. Keith put the phone away on his bedside table. He got up, shaking a little.

He still couldn't get used to being home alone. To some other teens that might seem like a luxury, but Keith didn't like being alone in the dark, as childish as that sounded.

He wanted to go to Rpagio's, or Cherry's house, or even the hospital. Just some place where he didn't feel as isolated as he did right now.

Still, he was just so tired. And it was his exhaustion that won in the end. He'd deal with his emotions later. He wasn't going to confront his issues at this state.

He wrapped the blanket around him like a cocoon and closed his eyes, trying to dispel the cold.

Until what seemed like forever, the background noises faded into nothing, and Keith drifted into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahahahahah WEEK 1 DONE BABY!!!  
> Seriously, I'm really happy to see this work till the end! I doubt I would've continued if it wasn't for the support I got from you guys(so, thank you!).  
> But sorry it took so long to release this, I was occupied with a lot of stuff this week.  
> I'm planning on doing the rest of the weeks (except for week 4 - I haven't come up with any ideas for that), so stay tuned!


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